Dow Earns Top Score on 2017 Disability Equality Index

MIDLAND, Mich. - August 25, 2017 -
The Dow Chemical Company has received the highest possible score on the 2017 Disability Equality Index® (DEI). The DEI survey, administered by the U.S. Business Leadership Network® (USBLN) and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), serves as the nation’s most trusted annual benchmarking tool for disability policies and practices.

Participants are ranked on culture and leadership, enterprise-wide access, employment practices, and community engagement and support services. Dow’s top rating of 100 on the survey represents its commitment to continuously improving disability inclusion practices within the company.

“I am proud to see the results of the Disability Equality Index survey with Dow’s score of 100,” said Karen Carter, Dow’s chief inclusion officer. “Meeting the challenges of today's business environment requires the contributions of every member of our Dow team and we will continue to build an atmosphere where all people feel welcome and valued.”

Of the 110 companies that participated in the survey, 68 received top marks. Each company self-reported their disability policies and practices, and were then scored on a scale from 0 to 100.

“Taking the DEI is an important step within the journey, backed with concrete data and insight,” said Jill Houghton, president and CEO of USBLN. “The release of this report, and the 68 leading companies, challenges other companies to fill in those critical gaps, and realize the possible results by being inclusive to people with disabilities, throughout the workforce, marketplace and supply-chain.”

As a result of its high score, Dow is recognized as being a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion” by USBLN, further honoring its efforts in inclusive disability policies and practices.

“For the past two years, Dow achieved a score of 80 on the DEI,” said Peter Holicki, Dow’s senior vice president of manufacturing and engineering and environment, health and safety operations, and executive sponsor for Dow’s Disability Employee Network (DEN). “This year’s score of 100 signals our success in closing the gaps, but we are not finished by any means. We have lots of good work left to do.”

“The DEI is an effective, non-punitive tool that builds partnerships between the disability and business communities to ultimately expand employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities and embrace the talents and skills we bring to the workplace,” said Helena Berger, President and CEO of AAPD. “Working together, we can help ensure no one is left behind or unable to pursue their dream because of a disability."

About Dow
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines the power of science and technology to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company is driving innovations that extract value from material, polymer, chemical and biological science to help address many of the world's most challenging problems, such as the need for fresh food, safer and more sustainable transportation, clean water, energy efficiency, more durable infrastructure, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow's integrated, market-driven portfolio delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in 175 countries and in high-growth sectors such as packaging, infrastructure, transportation, consumer care, electronics, and agriculture. In 2016, Dow had annual sales of $48 billion and employed approximately 56,000 people worldwide. The Company's more than 7,000 product families are manufactured at 189 sites in 34 countries across the globe. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

ABOUT THE US BUSINESS LEADERSHIP NETWORK® (USBLN®)
USBLN (US Business Leadership Network) unites business around disability inclusion in the workplace, supply chain and marketplace. USBLN has more than 130 corporate partners spanning the technology, healthcare, financial, transportation, entertainment and retail industries. USBLN serves as a collective voice of nearly 50 Business Leadership Network Affiliates across the United States, representing over 5,000 businesses. USBLN has various nationally recognized tools and programs, such as the Disability Equality Index and the leading disability-owned business enterprise (DOBE) certification program, to bridge inclusive companies with people and organizations within the disability community.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES (AAPD)
The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is a convener, connector, and catalyst for change, increasing the political and economic power of people with disabilities. As a national cross disability rights organization, AAPD advocates for full civil rights for the 56+ million Americans with disabilities.